Man Utd identify Chelsea target after Nuno Mendes BLOW

Tom Weber

• Updated: 7 Jan 2025 04:56 CST
• 4 min read

Manchester United have identified Patrick Dorgu as a target amid PSG's reluctance to sell Nuno Mendes, according to Fabrizio Romano.

The Red Devils are desperately scrambling to add a left wing-back to their side. It is a position that has given the club headaches for over a year due to the fitness problems of Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia.

Though Malacia is finally back - and has been for a few weeks - he has been linked with a departure from the club and Ruben Amorim preferred Diogo Dalot in that position against Liverpool.

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It was reportedly one of the first priorities identified by the Portuguese when he joined Man Utd and the club have been hard at work drawing up a list of targets. Bournemouth star Milos Kerkez was already a top option in the summer but ultimately proved unattainable.

Alphonso Davies is seen as a dream target but he is reportedly now close to extending his Bayern Munich contract and, in any case, would have been more likely to join Real Madrid than Man Utd.

Man Utd target Dorgu after Mendes blow

In recent weeks, Amorim and company have ramped up their interest in PSG defender Nuno Mendes, with the player so intrigued by the prospect of a move that he has put a stop to contract talks with the Ligue 1 side.

However, as Ben Jacobs reports, the French giants are ultimately reluctant to sell, especially in January, and there is no guarantee that he will move despite the fact that at least three other Premier League sides are also interested.

Mendes would be very expensive this month and Man Utd have limited funds available. As The Athletic put it on Tuesday morning, 'finding cash is an issue' and the club are 'creaking under debt.'

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Fabrizio Romano also echoes that Mendes would be very pricey indeed and reports that Man Utd have now identified Lecce's Patrick Dorgu as another option for the left wing-back position.

A boyhood Chelsea fan, the Dane has been linked with the Blues and Tottenham and is expected to move in 2025 despite recently signing a new contract. Dorgu has primarily been used as a right-winger this season, but he is a left-back by trade.

In the summer, Premier League clubs were priced out of a move by the Serie A side demanding as much as €40 million for the 20-year-old. At that figure, he, too, would likely be unattainable for Man Utd this month, while there is also the threat of Napoli, who have reportedly been trying to engineer a deal for weeks.